Istanbul, Turkey (October 5, 2015) - Family slides have always been an important part of the waterslide world. After all, one of the greatest benefits of waterparks is the opportunity for families, friends to enjoy time together and share the experience. On the other hand, the operators are always willing to manage the queues so that they are after high capacity rides. Providing a waterslide that gives them a thrill, then, is just one more reason for families and friends to spend a day "on the water." Now, though, with Space Race waterslide there is even more incentive to gather at the waterpark: the adrenaline rush of competition.

A new signature attraction

Polin introduces a unique, new Class-A signature ride: the Space Race waterslide. The ride's geometry is similar to other bowl-type slides, such as Polin's own Space Boat - a tube ride that launches from a tower, shoots riders down a chute and into a bowl where they gain ever-increasing velocity as centrifugal force sends them shooting around and around before they plummet through the bottom.

But that's where similarities end between the Space Race and all other family slides.

The Space Race introduces a wholly new opportunity for fun by giving groups of riders a chance to compete as they urge their teammates to be the fastest in crossing the finish line. The slide pits two four-rider family rafts against each other. The rafts enter the bowl from opposite directions at a speed of more than 43 kilometers per hour (27 miles per hour). Separated by a patent-pending divider, the eight riders follow identical helical routes, starting at the perimeter and ending at the center of the bowl. The giant specially designed basin allows the racing teams to see each other as they careen around the bowl, providing incentive for them to lean, bend, crouch and tilt in every way possible to give them an advantage in increasing their speed to gain an edge over their opponents.

Eventually, the teams exit the bowl at the center, shooting in opposite directions as they finalize their sliding adventure via two separate but identical dry or pool run-outs.

Towering above all the rest

Another distinctive characteristic of the Space Race is its entry tower. Riders begin building their adrenaline rush even before they step into their rafts due to the tower's design. It allows all riders to see other teams competing against one another as they wait their turn to enter the race. As they view other riders, they can start to develop their "secret" competitive advantages for racing through the 218-meter (715-foot) attraction's slide path.

Once they reach the top, riders face the exact same challenge as their opposing team, providing a rush as they speed through every twist and turn while safely separated from collisions. At the end, riders can congratulate one another as the winner is announced.

Specs on this specialty ride include:

Maximum capacity (120 x 8 riders per hour)

Optional "Natural Light Effects" (which allows the sun's rays to stream into the tube via translucent stripes and/or other designs to create a different experience on every ride), "Natural Sound Effects" and "Special Pattern Effects" (which allow a variety of theming and patterns on the slide's surface)

Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976, and has since grown into a leading company in the waterparks industry. Today Polin is one of the world leaders in the design, production, and installation of waterparks, waterslides & water play attractions. 2500 waterpark projects in more than 93 countries around the world have been completed by Polin, and Polin is the biggest waterslide supplier in Eurasia. Working with a wide variety of clients has helped Polin reach several milestones; including installing the first waterparks of many countries and many other award winning rides at parks with world-renowned reputations. Polin offers the industry's widest range of products, including signature rides such as the patented King Cobra, Magic Spheres, Spheres, Magi Cone and Space Shuttle.

Polin is the pioneer in the advancement and application of closed-molded manufacturing technology in waterslide development. First implemented in 2006, 100% of Polin's annual fiberglass production has been converted to resin transfer molding (RTM), and meets the industry's highest standards. Polin offers both bowl rides and family rides featuring RTM techniques. Polin also offers its unique and patented Natural Light Effect technology, Special Pattern Effects technology in RTM and translucent RTM waterslides. Polin is an ISO9001 certificate holder by TUV Germany since 2003, all Polin slides conform to European norms, all steel parts conform to international DIN standards, all designs conform to ASTM practices, and Polin is also CSEI approved for projects in China. Polin is the only waterslide company that holds a quality certificate for all of its waterslides by TUV, and was the 2012 Export Winner of Turkey in the SMSE Category. Polin has a high plant capacity with production in Turkey. Polin's team totals 350 people, with five offices throughout the world.

Polin is committed to providing the best-quality product and service by investing in continuous research and development. The company plans to further expand its L-RTM line while introducing new signature rides and innovations.